High-traction house slippers

ABSTRACT

A backless house slipper including a soft, typically plush foot-receiving portion and an oppositely disposed hard, thick and heavy sole portion. The sole portion is typically at least 1 centimeter thick rubber truck tire, and more typically the sole portion is 2, 3, or 4 centimeters thick and weighs between 0.5 and 3 kilograms, more typically between 2 and 2.5 kilograms. The sole portion engages the ground with tread patterns at least about 1 centimeter deep, and is unsuited and impractical for outdoor wear as the treads will grippingly engage the ground while the slipper offers no back heel engagement, thus the slipper will become easily stuck in the ground and disengage from a wearer&#39;s foot when worn outdoors.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present novel technology relates generally to the manufacture of shoes. In particular, this invention relates to a house slipper having soles made of heavy-duty tire treads, and method for manufacturing the same.

BACKGROUND

The decision to replace used tires on an automobile may have more negative effects than anticipated. Typically, old tires are either incinerated or sent to landfills. However, these strategies have proven to be harmful for multiple reasons. Burning old rubber tires releases toxic chemicals into the air, poisoning and polluting the environment and potentially further contributing to the destruction of the ozone. Additionally, tires are not biodegradable and as such tend to stack up over time, ultimately occupying tremendous amounts of space when consigned to a landfill. Old tires also become breeding grounds for bothersome creatures, such as rats, mosquitos, and the like. While recycling extends the life of the tire, harmful destruction of the tire is inevitable as even recycled tires cannot last forever. Thus, there is need for an alternate use of discarded tires. The present novel technology addresses this need.

In addition to providing an efficient alternative to reducing tire waste, the novel gift market could be served by this technology. The soles of these slippers are oversized to the point of comical exaggeration. These slippers should not be considered for functional purposes, but rather as a gag-gift idea for a friend, family member, co-worker or anyone in the market for receiving a gift. These slippers do not provide a heel-strap to prevent the shoe from falling off while walking through rough terrain. This feature further emphasizes that the purpose of these slippers—which contain comically exaggerated shoe soles—are meant to provide comic relief and do not otherwise serve the purpose of providing traction or protection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a heavily treaded house slipper according to the present novel technology.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the slipper of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the slipper of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the slipper of claim 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of an even more heavily treaded house slipper according to the present novel technology.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the slipper of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the slipper of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the novel technology and presenting its currently understood best mode of operation, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the novel technology is thereby intended, with such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device and such further applications of the principles of the novel technology as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the novel technology relates.

The novel technology shown in FIGS. 1-6 illustrate embodiments of the present novel technology, house slippers 100 having comically exaggerated tire tread soles no. The house slipper body 100 has a foot-receiving portion 105 and a sole portion 110 affixed thereto. The foot receiving portion 105 includes a foot covering portion 106 that is connected to and extends from a base 107. The foot receiving portion 105 is typically made of a soft cushioned material, such as a fabric-backed foam, plush fabric, thick terry cloth, or the like, and is typically covered in a microfiber material. The foot covering 106 of the foot receiving portion 105 encloses the top of the foot and toes, while leaving the heal exposed, and allows a person to easily slide the slipper on and off their foot. The foot base 107 of the foot receiving portion 105 provides a cushioned surface for the user's feet.

The oppositely disposed sole portion 110 is typically formed from a rubber tire, more typically from a heavy-duty, off-road, and/or all-terrain truck tire or tractor tire, and thus has an outer or floor-engaging tire tread surface 120. In some cases, the sole portion 110 is steel-belted. The sole portion 110 includes a relatively flat surface 125 disposed opposite the tread-surface 120 that may be securely attached to the base 107 via a durable adhesive material 121, such as a welt, flexible cement, shoe glue or the like.

Typically, the sole portion 110 has a tread depth of at least 5 millimeters and more typically at least 1 centimeter; a tread width of at least 5 millimeters and more typically at least 1 centimeter; and tread thickness of at least 1 centimeters, more typically at least 2 centimeters, and still more typically at least 3 centimeters, although other tread designs, dimensions, and patterns may be selected. The sole portion 110 typically weighs about 0.5 kg, more typically about 1 kg, still more typically about 2 kg, yet more typically about 2.5 kg and may even weigh 3 or more kg. FIG. 4 is a side view of the high-traction house slipper 100 that illustrates the true size of the comically exaggerated sole portion 110 in comparison to the foot receiving portion 105. The sole portion 110 may include tire features such as sipes, studs, and/or chains.

In operation, a wearer would slip his feet into the slippers 100 and wear them around the house. The wearer would not wear such slippers outside, especially in wet or muddy conditions, because the tread surface 120 would engage wet or muddy ground and the wearer would slip out of the backless slippers 100. The slippers 100 are suited for indoor wear only, and the deeply treaded surface 120 is thus a source of ironic humor and not actual traction for the wearer.

The novel article of footwear includes an anterior portion 135, a posterior portion 140 and a shock-absorbing tread portion 145. In one embodiment, the anterior portion 135 and the posterior portion 140 are manufactured as one piece to create the upper portion of the claimed article of footwear. The upper portion may be used to facilitate capture and holding of a wearer's foot within the hemispherically-shaped portion 160. The hemispherically-shaped portion 160 is typically made of a soft cushioned material, such as a fabric-backed foam, plush fabric, thick terry cloth, or the like, and is typically covered in a breathable microfiber material. The bottom portion of the article of footwear may be substantially covered with and in continuous contact with the shock-absorbing portion 145. The shock-absorbing portion 145 is typically formed from tire tread and, when worn, is generally in contact with the floor. The shock-absorbing portion 145 can ideally be divided into two portions: the toe portion 150 and the heel portion 155.

While the novel technology has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character. It is understood that the embodiments have been shown and described in the foregoing specification in satisfaction of the best mode and enablement requirements. It is understood that one of ordinary skill in the art could readily make a nigh-infinite number of insubstantial changes and modifications to the above-described embodiments and that it would be impractical to attempt to describe all such embodiment variations in the present specification. Accordingly, it is understood that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the novel technology are desired to be protected. 

1. A backless house slipper, comprising: a foot-receiving portion; and an oppositely disposed sole portion; wherein the sole portion is at least one centimeter thick rubber truck tire; wherein the sole portion includes one of the group including steel belting, sipes, studs, chains, and combinations thereof; and wherein the foot-receiving portion is not configured to engage a wearer's foot in the event the sole portion experiences traction.
 2. The backless house slipper of claim 1 wherein the sole portion weighs about 1 kg.
 3. The backless house slipper of claim 1 wherein the sole portion weighs about 2 kg.
 4. The backless house slipper of claim 1 wherein the sole portion weighs about 3 kg.
 5. The backless house slipper of claim 1, wherein the sole portion has a tread surface and an oppositely disposed non-tread surface, and wherein the non-tread surface is attached to the foot-receiving portion.
 6. The backless house slipper of claim 1, wherein the sole portion is recycled from a tractor tire.
 7. The backless house slipper of claim 1, wherein the sole portion is recycled from a truck tire.
 8. The backless house slipper of claim 1, wherein the depth of a tread in the tread surface is at least 1 centimeter, the width of the tread is at least 1.5 centimeters, and the thickness of the sole portion is at least 3 centimeters.
 9. The backless house slipper of claim 1, wherein the tread surface contains a plurality of sipes.
 10. An article of footwear comprising: an anterior portion and a posterior portion that are operationally connected to a tread portion; wherein the tread portion is a length of vehicular tire tread having a tread depth of at least two centimeters; wherein the tread portion further includes a feature selected from the group including steel belts, sipes, studs, chains, and combinations thereof; and wherein the anterior portion and the posterior portion are not configured to engage a wearer's foot in the event the tread portion experiences traction.
 11. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the tread portion is comprised of a heel portion and a toe portion.
 12. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the anterior portion is comprised of a hemispherically-shaped portion that is configured to cover approximately half of a wearer's foot including their toes.
 13. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the hemispherically shaped portion is comprised of fabric-backed foam.
 14. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the hemispherically shaped fabric-backed foam is operationally connected to the toe portion of the tread portion.
 15. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the posterior portion is configured to accept insertion of the wearer's toes and is configured to leave the wearer's heel exposed.
 16. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the posterior portion is operationally connected to the heel portion.
 17. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the tread portion is comprised of tire tread that weighs at least two kilograms. 